How Should I Set My Thermostat for When I’m At Work?

For many hours a day you’re gone at work, or maybe at school. Yet your HVAC system keeps going and going, without anybody home. This uses a ton of energy and wastes money. You can significantly scale back this cost by changing the thermostat up or down as you head to work and setting it back to your favored temperature when you come home. But how much should you adjust the temperature? 

Here’s what the Department of Energy says about thermostat adjustments: 

You can save up to 10% a year on heating and cooling by just adjusting your thermostat down 7°-10°F for eight hours a day from its normal setting. The percentage of savings from setback is larger for buildings in milder climates than for those in more extreme climates. 

The lower the contrast between the both temperatures, the lower your complete cooling bill can be. You can comfortably save energy through the winter by lowering the thermostat to around 68°F while you’re awake and turning it down while you’re asleep or away from home. For summer, you can practice the same strategy with central air conditioning by keeping your house warmer than normal when you are away and tweaking the thermostat to a setting as warm as you can manage comfortably when you’re home and want cooling and to provide humidity control if required. 

You may have been advised that these kinds of adjustments aren’t worth the time because your HVAC has to work even harder to get back to your preferred temperature, using up your savings, but the energy department puts that notion to rest, namely for heaters: “A common misconception associated with thermostats is that a furnace works harder than normal to warm the space back to a comfortable temperature after the thermostat has been set back, resulting in little or no savings. In fact, as soon as your house drops below its normal temperature, it will lose energy to the surrounding environment more slowly.” 

Programmable and Smart Thermostats 

Despite the benefits of adjusting your thermostat every time you head to work, it’s easy to overlook in the rush of getting ready and on your way. This is one advantage of programmable and smart thermostats. You can adjust your thermostat to automatically move to a higher or lower temperature during your standard work hours. And with a smart thermostat, you can change the temperature (or the programming schedule) from your smartphone or similar device. This is particularly helpful if you’ve neglected to fix the setting before going on vacation. 

Always Remember the Pets 

If you have a pet, consider their comfort too. Cats and dogs with heavy fur won’t be as happy with high temperatures. And pets with less fur might not be comfortable with cold temperatures. The same is true of tropical birds, fish and reptiles. Considering temperature tolerances vary significantly by breed and species, so it helps to verify the ideal temperature range for your pets. 

Other Benefits of Changing Your Thermostat for When You’re Away 

• Carbon emissions – The more you use your heating and cooling, the more carbon emissions you generate. Saving energy decreases air pollution and greenhouse gasses. 
• HVAC Longevity – Demanding too much from your HVAC unit can reduce its life span and cause increased maintenance to be needed. It also means the air filter may clog up sooner, making your indoor air supply worse. 

If you have any ideas about your air conditioner settings, or if you require HVAC repair or maintenance, get in touch with the professionals at Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning, a big company with homegrown heart. We’re serious about making the world a comfy place to live. Whether we’re keeping things warm, cooling things down or making the water run, we take great pride in keeping our customers and communities comfortable and satisfied. 

Experts — it’s in our name and central to our service. We work tirelessly to help each technician or installer learn to be a skilled craftsman. We employ the best and supply instruction, opportunities and support, so everyone can learn, develop and be equipped for any kind of challenge thrown their way. 

Our total business strength and people separate us from other service companies. With over 4,000 team members on board, we can deliver and innovate more effectively than the rest of the industry. Our positive, family-friendly attitude fuels our collaboration and helps us get the job done in a timely manner, and right — the first time. 

Our blend of company size and individual expertise means we can offer more with the next great idea … which may come from anywhere and anyone. We are helping transform the industry by supporting each team member’s most popular ideas. That means our teams and customers can rest assured we’re moving, innovating, delivering, and in it for the long run, through the busier times and beyond. 

We are Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning! Offering strength, knowledge and support over every season.